Prospectus Hit List for April 27

Hit List for April 26
Hit List for April 28Hit List updates are published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting April 2, 2014. Data presented here is based on games through the day prior to publication.Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

6

14

8.0

8.0

8.8

.384

.366

13.9%

6.2%

20.0%

2.2%

4.4%

The Padres are talking about moving the fences in next season, but nobody is talking about my idea of moving the plate out. That would benefit both the hitters and the pitchers. Think about it. Now stop thinking about it.

2

12

7

10.0

10.3

10.6

.565

.584

18.4%

39.0%

57.4%

1.0%

4.2%

Note to Matt Moore Worrywarts: 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts, two walks, and two earned runs mean you can calm the heck down now.

3

9

10

8.6

8.6

9.8

.473

.454

18.6%

28.1%

46.6%

0.9%

5.2%

Homer Bailey has an ERA better than league-average for the first time in his career, but he also is now striking out fewer than six per nine innings.

4

12

7

10.0

9.4

8.8

.528

.548

0.4%

2.5%

2.9%

0.6%

0.5%

If history is any judge, Adam Jones will have a season good enough to get the Orioles to give him lots of money, whereupon he will age so fast you'll think you're watching the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade..

5

8

10

8.4

8.5

8.5

.463

.483

17.8%

36.3%

54.1%

0.6%

0.6%

The Red Sox have now won four in a row. Can you unjump off the Tobin Bridge?

6

9

8

8.0

8.2

6.5

.467

.487

26.3%

10.2%

36.5%

0.5%

-0.3%

By starting the season .304/.373/.522, Asdrubal Cabrera has answered his doubter, a guy named Larry from Euclid. In your face, Larry!

7

12

7

11.8

10.4

10.0

.582

.562

27.2%

21.2%

48.4%

0.4%

1.9%

Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel have struck out 29 hitters in 15 2/3 innings, which is more than five out of six dentists recommend.

8

10

9

8.8

7.1

6.8

.428

.448

54.8%

9.6%

64.4%

0.3%

-6.0%

It's true that Delmon Young is hitting .242/.311/.333, but that's OK because he's terrible defensively.

9

9

10

9.6

8.8

9.7

.488

.468

36.0%

22.0%

58.0%

0.3%

0.4%

Who is leading the Phillies in OBP and slugging? Why, Laynce Nix, of course.

10

9

10

8.5

8.4

9.5

.466

.446

21.6%

9.5%

31.1%

0.2%

-3.2%

Despite being injured and not playing for the past 10 days, Chris Young still leads the Diamondbacks in just about every offensive category.

11

5

14

5.8

6.6

7.1

.323

.341

1.5%

1.1%

2.6%

0.2%

0.7%

The U.S. Department of Small Sample Sizes would like to remind you that even though Clete Thomas is striking out in 57 percent of his plate appearances, it's not our fault.

12

11

8

8.0

8.9

10.9

.511

.491

3.0%

4.7%

7.7%

0.1%

0.4%

David Wright has never had an OPS above .900 in Citi Field, but with the fences moved in this year he is hitting .306/.447/.500 at home.

13

5

14

7.7

8.9

8.9

.402

.421

0.3%

0.3%

0.6%

0.1%

0.1%

Royals starter Luis Mendoza has a 6.00 ERA, which henceforth shall be known as the Mendoza Line! Wait, what? That name is taken?

14

6

13

6.9

6.5

7.5

.354

.336

0.2%

0.8%

1.0%

0.1%

-0.9%

When the Cubs hold their World Series victory parade down State Street, they'll have to do it wearing special space suits that accommodate their mutated dinosaur tails. But a World Series parade is a World Series parade, am I right?

15

7

12

10.3

10.2

10.7

.503

.483

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.0%

The Astros are spending $17.5 million on Brandon Lyon and Brett Myers, who have combined for 12 innings with a 2.70 ERA out of the bullpen. Someone please tell me why.

16

15

4

15.0

15.4

15.1

.796

.809

75.5%

17.3%

92.8%

-0.1%

0.2%

The Rangers' 31 homers lead everyone, the American League, the National League, and you, probably by 31.

17

10

10

9.3

8.1

8.0

.442

.462

0.2%

1.0%

1.2%

-0.1%

-0.4%

In 2008, the A's dropped Dan Johnson. The Rays grabbed him and Johnson hit a series of pivotal ninth-inning homers. A week ago the A's dropped Brandon Allen and Tampa grabbed him, and Thursday he hit a walk-off. This is a dangerous trend.

18

12

7

13.8

14.1

13.7

.705

.688

58.3%

25.0%

83.3%

-0.1%

-1.0%

While the Cardinals lead the NL with a plus-38 run differential, each other team in the Central division has been out-scored. The race for the NL Central could be over before it starts.

19

8

10

7.4

7.5

8.5

.436

.417

0.4%

1.5%

1.9%

-0.1%

0.4%

At least part of the reason the Pirates have scored only 41 runs (50 fewer than St. Louis) is their league-worst 5 percent walk rate.

20

10

8

10.3

10.1

9.9

.560

.580

62.8%

25.1%

87.8%

-0.1%

-0.5%

When Derek Jeter retires at 55 and publishes his autobiography, it will detail all the animatronic surgeries he underwent to hit .420/.442/.642 as a 37-year-old starting shortstop, while others of us the same age can't open a cabinet without injuring ourselves.

21

10

10

10.0

9.1

8.7

.473

.493

0.0%

0.5%

0.6%

-0.2%

-0.3%

Lost in the news of Michael Pineda's injury has been his counterpart, Jesus Montero, who is hitting a meek .265/.278/.368.

22

14

5

12.0

12.7

12.0

.666

.648

8.1%

10.9%

19.0%

-0.4%

-0.4%

The Nationals' team ERA leads the majors at 2.20, 0.38 better than second-place Pittsburgh and more than four runs better than last-place Boston.

23

13

6

10.9

11.7

11.9

.625

.606

8.6%

5.0%

13.6%

-0.4%

-1.5%

Advanced statistics can be vital in helping us understand the game. But sometimes they aren't necessary. For example, Matt Kemp is hitting .449 with 10 homers. See? Point made.

24

9

9

8.1

7.3

7.3

.440

.420

6.5%

3.3%

9.9%

-0.4%

-0.6%

Jamie Moyer's strikeout rate is 100 percent. As a hitter.

25

10

9

9.9

9.7

8.8

.507

.527

0.6%

3.5%

4.1%

-0.5%

-1.4%

Are the first-place Orioles even a little bit for real? After getting swept by them, the Blue Jays probably think so.

26

10

9

9.7

10.5

10.6

.537

.517

49.4%

8.8%

58.2%

-0.9%

-1.6%

Pablo Sandoval has a 19-game hitting streak. This makes sense because when you think of Joe DiMaggio, Pablo Sandoval pops right into your head.

27

9

10

8.5

7.7

7.1

.425

.406

22.6%

32.3%

54.9%

-0.9%

-1.5%

That the Brewers are the worst in baseball in Defensive Efficiency should surprise nobody but the Chorizo, who doesn't pay attention to advanced statistics.

28

10

9

10.4

11.8

11.7

.577

.597

17.1%

8.7%

25.8%

-1.0%

4.0%

Phil Humber's run at a second perfect game lasted six pitches.

29

7

11

8.7

7.9

7.5

.434

.414

25.8%

20.8%

46.5%

-1.0%

-2.1%

Heath Bell's implosion reminds me there are two big problems with giving a long deal to an established closer. Actually three problems. No, four. Wait, I mean five. [twenty minutes later] OK, two hundred six reasons not to give a long deal to an established closer.

30

6

13

8.3

7.8

7.0

.383

.402

24.3%

44.9%

69.2%

-1.2%

-1.4%

Lost in all the hysteria about Albert Pujols not hitting is Vernon Wells, who is also not hitting.